Gas Discharge Display Method Using Both Surface and Opposing Discharges Separately to Emit Light in the Sustain Period

1. A method of driving a gas discharge display apparatus having a plurality of light emitting tubes, a plurality of address electrodes extending in a longitudinal direction of the light emitting tube, and a plurality of pairs of display electrodes extending in an orthogonal direction to the address electrode, the pairs of the display electrodes opposing to the address electrodes via the light emitting tube, the method comprising: selecting a cell by a first discharge between one of a pair of display electrodes and a selected one of the address electrodes in an address period, the cell being a part of the light emitting tube and being defined as a cross portion of the selected pair of display electrodes and the selected address electrode; and emitting a light from a fluorescent material in the cell in a sustaining period, the light emitting being caused by a second discharge generated between the pair of display electrodes in a first portion of the sustaining period and at least one of a third discharge generated between either one of the pair of display electrodes and the address electrode in a second portion of the sustaining period that is after the first portion of the sustaining period; wherein the third discharge in the second portion of the sustaining period is performed while preventing the second discharge by applying voltage having a same polarity to each of the pair of display electrodes concurrently.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the third discharge in the second portion of the sustaining period is generated by an application of a pulse to the address electrode.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the third discharge in the second portion of the sustaining period is generated by an application of a positive pulse of a peak value being equal to or more than a peak value of a pulse applied to the selected address electrode for generating the first discharge.

4. A method of driving a gas discharge display apparatus capable of displaying an image in one field which is composed of a plurality of subfields, the gas discharge display apparatus having an array of a plurality of light emitting tubes, a plurality of address electrodes extending in a longitudinal direction of the light emitting tubes, and a plurality of pairs of display electrodes extending in an orthogonal direction to the address electrodes, the pairs of the display electrodes opposing to the address electrodes via the light emitting tubes, the method of driving at least one subfield comprising: selecting a cell by a first discharge between one of a pair of display electrodes and a selected one of the address electrodes in an address period, the cell being a part of the light emitting tube and being defined as a cross portion of the selected pair of display electrodes and the selected address electrode; and emitting a light from a fluorescent material in the cell in a sustaining period, the light emitting being caused by a second discharge generated between a pair of display electrodes in a first portion of the sustaining period and at least one of a third discharge between either one of the pair of display electrodes and the address electrode in a second portion after the first portion of the sustaining period of the subfield; and further comprising at least one further subfield in which the light emitting being caused by third discharge occurs while preventing the second discharge by applying voltage having a same polarity to each of the pair of display electrodes concurrently.

5. A method of driving for displaying a gray scale image on a gas discharge display apparatus having an array of a plurality of light emitting tubes, a plurality of address electrodes extending in a longitudinal direction of the light emitting tubes, and a plurality of pairs of display electrodes extending in an orthogonal direction to the address electrode, the pairs of the display electrodes opposing to the address electrodes via the light emitting tubes, the method comprising: at least one subfield composing an address period and a sustaining period; generating a series of a predetermined number of a surface discharge between a pair of display electrodes during a first portion of the sustaining period; and generating at least one of an opposed discharge between either one of a pair of display electrodes and the address electrode, in a second portion of the sustaining period that is after the first portion of the sustaining period, the opposed discharge being weaker than the surface discharge; wherein, when the opposed discharge is generated between one of the pair of the display electrodes and the address electrode during the second portion of the sustaining period, voltage having a same polarity is concurrently applied to each of the pair of the display electrodes for preventing the surface discharge generated between the pair of the display electrodes.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein, the opposed discharge is generated at least once during the second portion of the sustaining period by applying a positive pulse to the address electrode between the one of the pair of display electrodes and the address electrode.

7. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising: at least two subfields each composing an address period and a sustaining period; during the sustaining period in a first one of the subfields, a plurality of surface discharges only generated between the pair of the display electrodes; and during the sustaining period in a second one of the subfields, in series, a surface discharge generated between the pair of the display electrodes, and an opposed discharge generated between the one of the pair of display electrodes and the address electrode, wherein the brightness of the opposed discharge is less than a brightness of the surface discharge.

8. The method according to any one of the claims 5 to 7 , wherein the opposed discharge at least once generated during the second portion of the sustaining period is generated between one of the pair of display electrodes which is not used as any scanning electrode during the address period, and the address electrode.